1. toku kara
2. tewa tori aeru (mp3)
3. small time
4. EMI
5. strobo
6. koeto (mp3)
7. on the roof
8. it’s tomorrow already
9. music
you’ve been up all night. your ready to crash. but it’s not time yet. the best part of the day is coming up. time to sit by the window, or outside on the closest hillside. the sun breaks over the horizon, and your ready for another day. “sonorapid” by tokyo’s “aus” is the soundtrack to this moment. shimmering electronics, soft vocals, and the sunrise. intricate drum programming, subsonic frequencies, and female vocals are the plan. the sound of urban bedroom pop.
press quotes:
other music
We’ve been selling out of these in the shop for a while now with nothing but an impassioned, handwritten note letting customers know what it’s like. So this review is probably long overdue. At first we were ready to brush Sonorapid off as another Japanese, Oval-esque IDM release; but we were soon drawn in and realized there is a lot more to this album than its surface elements. It does have skittery rhythms, clicks, whirrs, quietly ringing guitar notes and dreamy female vocals, but it all manages to transform within the song. Like the first Pole album, the elements that seem random or conceptual in other records reveal, upon closer inspection, a delicate arrangement that comes and goes, pushing the song forward. (All the songs have that quality, but check out track two, “Tewa Tori Aeru” and track four, “EMI.”) That’s the other thing about Aus, I can’t imagine another artist that blends modern edginess with sweetness and effective song-y-ness in that Japanese way as well. Its kind of an update on the delicate balance reached on Nobukazu Takemura’s very first Child’s View album. Maybe it’s the almost Nagisa Ni Te/romantic undertone that makes it special, that sweetness that’s almost too sugary, but ends up being interesting enough, and having enough other qualities to offset the sweetness and lure you into it. This is definitely music for that “special” moment and that “special” place, but even if you’re not necessarily in this mood, it will likely bring you there safe and sound. Excellent album. [SM]
textura
Aus’s Sonorapid is tailor-made for those who prefer their electronic music warm and soothing rather than abrasive and chilling. Tokyo artist Yasuhiko Fukuzono’s tracks shimmer like summer haze lifting off a desert highway and glistens like sunlight sparkle reflecting off a gently rippling lake. Don’t get the wrong impression, though: while the tone may be placid on the dreamy meditation “It’s Tomorrow Already,” Aus’s intricately programmed material is typically uptempo and bursting with activity. To Fukuzono’s credit, Sonorapid manages to be delectably pretty without sounding vapid in the process.
music for robots
while Aus didn’t immediately jump out at me, I found myself returning to it time and time again, just to cool off. Turns out it’s an amazing little record. 9 songs, 42 minutes. All of it just wonderful, quiet beauty. The band is actually one guy - Yasuhiko Fukuzono from Tokyo. This is his third record, and I haven’t yet had the opportunity to hear his others yet. His latest, Sonorapid is just wonderful. Everyone I play it for falls in love with it. I mean, what’s not to like? Listen for yourselves. It’s quite delicate and sparse, but never cold or informal. It’s like a nice glass of lemonade, and not in some old fashioned country kinda way.”
